Dawn and Dusk
by Cerberusia
Summary: AU As the political climate grows steadily darker, a couple are found murdered, with a baby squalling in the ashes of their house. How does this child grow into Duo Maxwell, Gundam pilot? Genderbend warning.
1. Prologue

Prologue

A figure, barely noticeable in the dusk, alighted on a bough of a sturdy oak tree, making barely a noise. It was humanoid in shape, but appeared to have large wings. Looking closely at it, it could be seen that the wings were attached to the arms, and that it had clawed paws instead of hands and feet. Sensitive, leaf-shaped ears trembled gently in the light breeze, listening. The figure was clearly female, as shown by the delicate cheekbones/muzzle, chest, and long, blond hair, if not the hips- in that regard it was masculine; they were almost none existent.

This was not pure human. Nor was it pure anything else. It -she- was a human-bat hybrid. It was not something you saw every day, even in this day and age. Scientific experiments like these were generally kept locked safely in cages.

But this one was free, having been determined as no threat to society.

She spotted a mouse on the ground, and was immediately on guard, ready to catch her prey.

Well, no threat to human society, at least.

She finished her hunting within a roughly an hour. She was tearing at her third rat, when she caught a sense that something was not right at the place she called home. The home of the couple who had taken care of her since she had been released five years ago.

She dropped the half-eaten carcass, and took to the sky, frowning. It took her roughly five minutes to get to the dwelling. As she drew near, she realised that there was a bright light emanating from it. Her frown deepened. They _never_ left lights on this late- they knew that she preferred the dark, so didn't bother with leaving a light source for her. Her eyesight was better in the dark anyway.

As she landed, she realized it.

They hadn't left lights on.

The house was on fire.

She raced into the house, folding her wings and covering her mouth as she did so. She didn't usually mind smoke, but this was overlaid with the stench of burnt flesh. She ran from room to room, trying to find them. She found them in the lounge, expressions of horror on their faces. Blood ran from the woman's neck- her throat had been slit. The man had a bullet wound in his abdomen. Both were severely burned. And both very dead.

She made a slight whimpering sound. _'Don't get all emotional, you silly idiot. That's a daft thing to do'_ she told herself, swallowing the lump in her throat.

_The child._

Of course. How could she have forgotten? The child. Her parents were dead, but she might still be alive.

She ran to the nursery, ignoring the thick smoke. As she entered, she heard a faint crying sound. She was by the crib in an instant, panicked.

The child was there, still alive and kicking. It was a miracle that she had survived at all, what with all the smoke she must have been breathing in. She froze in indecision. Dare she risk it? Ah what the hell. No-one could see.

Like something out of a bad horror film, two arms grew out of her chest, shifting to her shoulders, as her wings also moved back, to her shoulder blades.

When the transformation completed, she snatched up the child with her newly-grown arms, careful not to hurt her with her claws. Sprinting outside, she used her momentum to take off

After twenty minutes, she and her burden arrived at the place she had intended- a small hut. She knocked on the door, hovering just above the ground, not bothering to land.

A teenage male opened the door.

"Here," she thrust the child at him. "Look after her until she's two years old. After that, let her go to live on the streets. And don't cut her hair, or let her cut it herself. Got it?"

The boy nods. "I won't even _ask_ why you want that, but I'll do it."

"Good. I'm off now, see ya later." She strode briskly towards the clump of trees that separated this place from the rest of the world.

"Hang on," the boy called after her. "What's her name?"

She turned around. Could she really tell the boy the child's real name? No, she decided, that brought back too many painful memories.

"She doesn't have one." She paused. "Call her Brimstone- Brim for short." And with that, she vanished into the trees, leaving the boy with the little one.


	2. Chapter I

Chapter I

A young girl, of only four or five, ran down an alleyway, panic in her eyes. They were coming closer. It was nightime, so there was no chance of getting help from a passer-by.

She stopped suddenly. There was a wall in front of her. She looked around. She was surrounded by walls on three sides, and the voices were coming still closer. She was trapped.

Finally, her pursuers came down the alleyway. Seeing her, they stopped. There were three of them, and they were smirking. Now she was really trapped, and they knew it.

They started forwards again, with looks on their faces that promised trouble for the girl. The leader made a motion with his hands. The girl paled even more. That motion…it was the motion men made to prostitutes…

She realised what was coming, as they loomed over her, grinning like things from a nightmare. She couldn't move, she was frozen in place, her back to the hard stone wall.

A soft snarl came from the top of the aforementioned wall. The men looked up, and blanched. The girl wanted to run, but couldn't. She was still frozen. Probably a good thing, she reflected. The thing that had snarled might come after her if she made any movements. After a couple of seconds, she finally risked a glance up. What she saw there shocked her.

Another girl, not even a teenager, was crouched, eyes narrowed, teeth bared, and still snarling. Her eyes were fixed on the men, who were slowly backing away. She leapt down in front of the smaller girl, protecting her. Her wings allowed her to float gently. They were bat wings, and the young child could see, upon a closer inspection of her saviour, that she had clawed hands and feet, and her ears were leaf-shaped. She was one of the hybrids that had been bred in the illegal labs over a decade ago. The younger girl vaguely remembered her temporary guardian saying something about a female bat-human hybrid, but it was a faded memory.

Another figure leapt down beside the girl. It was another female, but it had cat features instead of bat ones, complete with a long, furry tail. A cat-human hybrid; one of the more common crosses.

The men had turned almost translucent by this time, and looked to be on the verge of running. Their eyes were huge in their faces, and were staring, transfixed, at the two creatures.

The dispatching of the men took barely a minute. One second they were there, and the next they weren't.

The two rescuers turned to face the young girl. During the fight, she had huddled in a corner, hiding her face in her knees.

"Hey," the bat-girl said, softly, crouching down. "You alright?" A shiver was her only response.

She gently reached out a hand towards the terrified child. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Just take my hand, and I'll help you." She was still speaking in that slow, soft tone.

The little one looked up tearfully, took a deep, shuddering breath, and reached out a quivering hand to lightly touch the older girl's fingers. The hybrid gave a tentative smile, so as not to scare her, and the child launched her self at her, clutching as though she would never let go.

She was picked up, cradled in the crook of the bat-girl's arm. The hybrid made a small, sharp motion under the child's chin, and she fell unconscious. (The little girl, not the hybrid).

"What are you going to do with her, Shepf?" the cat-girl asked, lashing her tail in worry. "I mean, we've got a no random street kids policy, but…"

The other sighed. "Honestly Suzaku. Do you ever read the mission briefing?"

"Um, well, er…"

"I thought not. Anyway, I need you to visualize something."

"Go on."

"This child," she hefted the child slightly, "older, about fifteen, with long hair of this same colour," she showed her the chestnut locks, "tied back in a braid, down to about mid-thigh; blue-violet eyes-"

"That's the colour of the child's eyes anyway." interrupted Suzaku.

"I am aware of that. Also, with more masculine features, though fine boned, and dressed in a black priest's outfit with a black baseball cap. Tell me, Suzaku- who does that sound like?"

Suzaku's eyes lit up in recognition. "Duo?"

"Indeed."

"But he was meant to be taken in by the Maxwell Church…"

"But first he was taken in by a street gang, remember? Honestly, you really don't read the mission briefing, do you?"

"Um, nope. But he's meant to be male! That's a girl!"

"Ah well, such is life, I suppose. But remember, this is a _fanfiction_ that we've jumped into, rather than an official world. Therefore, the author is taking a little liberty. Well, in the case of gender, a big liberty, I suppose. Not that I'm complaining- worldshifting into fanfiction is always more interesting than the original."

"Oh. So what do we do? Do we take him/her in?"

"Yes, Suzaku. We take him/her in."

/Chapter end/

A/N. Sorry about the lack of updates, but I've got a lot to do at school- they're piling on the work. I am trying, however, and I hope you enjoy this.

Cerberus

(Patterns of Blood)


	3. Chapter II

Chapter II

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Shepf smiled, as they entered the abandoned warehouse that served as the gang headquarters. The girl said nothing, just looked around the room in fear, eyes wide in her small face.

"Poor thing…d'you reckon she's ever seen something like this before?" Suzaku murmured, walking close behind the pair.

Shepf smiled again, but this time grimly, remembering what happened those three years back, when she had taken the child to her associate, with those careful instructions. "No, I don't suppose she has." The trio made it's way to an old sofa. Shepf sat the child down on it, whilst Suzaku hurried away for water, a towel, and clean clothes.

"Well, you've been banged up pretty good, honey," the hybrid spoke, gently stroking the girl's back, an arm around her.

Large amethyst eyes stared back up at her, trust shining in them. Also, Shepf noted, there was something else…could it be…recognition?

Her suspicions were confirmed, as the child spoke.

"She'f?" The question was tentative, as the child cowered slightly, as if in fear of being hit. Indeed, maybe she was.

The older girl was torn between smiling and frowning. That was the nickname the child had given her, when too young to pronounce her name correctly. She was delighted that the child recognized her, but the condition she was in…

A voice from the doorway broke her from her thoughts. Suzaku had returned with the items she had been sent for. Immediately, the pair set about washing their new charge's face.

Underneath the grime and dirt, she was quite a pretty little thing, Shepf mused, gently dabbing around the girl's eyes. Porcelain skin, delicate facial structure, and a pair of stunning, large, amethyst eyes. She was really a lovely child.

And through all this, the child had said no word but the mangled pronunciation of her new caretaker's name. She stayed silent, wide eyes staring at the older girls.

Finally, they finished, and propped the girl up against several cushions.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Suzaku asked, peering concernedly at the child.

There was no reply.

"Can she talk? Shepf, do you think she even understands?"

"Oh, she understands. She just doesn't want to reply. I think she may be in shock." Shepf explained, laying her hand on Suzaku's arm. "I wouldn't push too much just yet, hm? I gave her the name of Brimstone when I left her."

"So _this_ was the child that you- Oh…I see…Well, we probably shouldn't push her too hard, then. Come on, Brim; let's get you settled into a warm bed, shall we?"

_END CHAPTER_

_A/N. A rather pitiful update, but this is the difficult part of the fic. Add to that moving into senior school, a lot of homework, a large burst of too much inspiration, and about a squillion other things…Well, let's just say it's difficult._

_Though that doesn't excuse me not updating for about half a year. For that, I truly, truly apologize. Gomen nasai._

_I hope you're all doing well, and I adore reviews! –Hinthint-._


	4. Chapter III

**Chapter III**

"Nee-san! Nee-san!" A little chestnut-haired girl came charging into the storage house, plait flying behind her, eyes sparkling. "Nee-sa-"

"I'm here, little one, there's no need to yell." The soothing tones of the Rau'Raychi clan leader echoed smoothly through the warehouse passages, and the child fell silent, wide purple eyes glowing with happiness.

"Why the yelling, Brim-chan? You're not normally this loud."

"Ceras is better! Her leg's healed!" The ten-year old bounced up and down, beaming at her friend.

The bat-hybrid smiled fondly down at her charge. Brimstone had changed since she had been discovered by the Rau'Raychi clan, gradually becoming more open and cheerful, eventually gaining a Dog totem; loyalty and honesty. Since being given such a thing, Brimstone had also taken to keeping several of the animals around her, and was often surrounded by a barking pack of them. She had also picked up Shepf's habit of spontaneously speaking foreign languages, though she sometimes got it wrong.

"That's lovely to know, Brim-chan. I do like huskies, so that's extra-special to me." Shepf draped an arm around the other's shoulders, and steered her inside, delighted with the progress in Brimstone's personality.

Smiling and laughing, they continued through the corridors.

"Solo-nee?" a voice piped up, as the little girl clambered onto the sofa.

"Yes, Brim-chan?" Shepf turned her face to look at the child, now a strong and healthy eleven-year-old.

"Solo-nee, I was wondering...what will my clan name be?" Shepf choked on her tea, fangs clacking on the edge of her cup. She certainly hadn't expected the girl to ask that! Clan names were given when a child was twelve years of age, or on initiation if the person was already older. This name was what they would be known as to the rest of the world, their true to be reserved for use only among family and close friends. She shuffled her leathery wings, nervously.

"Well...I'm not sure yet, Brim-chan. What would you suggest?" Often, the child's wishes were taken into consideration, and Shepf was anxious to hear Brimstone's opinions on the subject. They were sure to be interesting...

"Well…" Brimstone bit her lip, frowning slightly. "You remember when Suzaku-nee said that I was a mini-you?"

"Vaguely…Yes, I remember it. Why? Are you suggesting your clan name to be 'Mini-Solo'?" Shepf teased her ward, smiling.

"No, but…how about 'Duo'? Solo, Duo…would that work?" The child bit her lip, staring up at the girl who had raised her for most of her life.

Shepf cocked her head to the side, and stared at the girl for a moment, before smiling broadly, revealing fangs like daggers.

"That's an excellent idea…_Duo-chan_…I'll plan the ceremony right away!" And so the bat-hybrid bounced off, a wide grin on her face, humming an odd tune to herself. The newly-christened Duo watched her go, a bemused smile on her face.

_END CHAPTER_


	5. Chapter IV

Chapter IV

Duo giggled at the street-seller, who openly flirted with her. She wasn't complaining- everything seemed so bright today, so cheerful. And the man wasn't so bad looking anyway. Nothing could dampen her mood, as she all but skipped down the street, purple hair-ribbons fluttering, matching her glowing eyes. Her hair, now down to her waist, was worn in it's habitual chestnut braid, flying out behind her.

She slowed down as she neared the Rau'Raychi gang warehouse-come-headquarters, wanting to savour this moment of happiness. She was safe from harm; the gang tattoo, displayed brazenly between her shoulder blades beneath a sheer top protected her from anything from thieves, to muggers, to rival gang members, even to policemen. The Rau'Raychi clan were well known as being vicious and merciless, killing anyone for a high enough price.

Even before the warehouse came into view, she knew something was wrong. There was a distinct lack of the animals which usually hung around the area, cared for by the gang, and used as guards. Indeed, there was a distinct lack of anything, really, except silence, emptiness, and…the smell of burning?

Instantly, Duo's terror increased tenfold. What could have happened? Had there been a fight involving fire arrows? Surely not- she would have heard the yells. So what had happened?

As she turned the corner, the stench of smoke hit her like a punch in the face. She struggled for air, feeling slightly lightheaded. She recalled Shepf's words; _'With your initiation into the Rau'Raychi comes various gifts. For instance, if you can't breathe because of a particularly strong smell or substance in the air, imagine a bubble around your head. You should be able to breathe more easily.'_ She obeyed the advice, and almost immediately felt her airways unblock.

She opened her eyes, the 'bubble' also allowing her clear vision, and once again gasped for air, though this time from shock. How could this have happened? What could have gone wrong?

In front of her, where the warehouse had once been, there was now a gutted wreck, smoke billowing from it in thick streamers, sending a smoke signal into the sky. She hadn't noticed it when at the market because the wind had been blowing in the opposite direction, thus giving her no sign of the disaster.

Duo picked her way through the wreckage, tears in her eyes as she mourned for her home, and probably foster family- what if they hadn't gotten out in time? What if they had been trapped in the wreckage, and had died there? The possibilities were too horrible to contemplate.

All around her, all she saw were damaged things from her childhood; from chairs to rugs, nothing was left untouched. Finally, she found what she had been searching for.

Shepf.

Or rather, the _dead body_ of Shepf. The older girl was very obviously dead, hair in disarray, limbs too loose for mere unconsciousness, skin underneath the fur deathly pale, as could be seen where patches of the fine black hairs had been pulled out, and the skin beneath bloodied from the same liquid that now matted the remaining fur, gleaming wetly in the now faint light. She had not gone down without a fight, though- the bloodied teeth and claws were testament to that.

Carefully and respectfully, Duo turned the body over onto it's back, to reveal a dagger thrust into the heart. It would have been a quick death, but that provided little comfort for the girl, as she saw the evidence which confirmed her fears. What could she do now? She wept over the body, tears staining her cheeks, a far cry from her mood little less than twenty minutes ago.

After five minutes of this grief, she straightened up, wiped the tears away, and resolved to sort through the wreckage once more.

At last, she came across an untouched piece of paper, half-hidden under a collapsed beam. She picked it up, and squinted at the words; she never could read Shepf's writing, and this was definitely it. Thankfully, however, the penmanship was reasonably neat, as if the hybrid had taken extra care.

It read:

_Dear Duo,_

_If you are reading this right now, I'm dead. Rather unfortunate, but that's the way things are. Now read carefully- this is the only copy of this letter there is._

_First off: We aren't who you think we are. There's no time to explain exactly who we are- it would take an entire essay- but suffice to say, we're not of this world. And I'm not just talking about the hybrid thing, either._

_To put it simply, we're part of a bigger thing, which is controlling your world. We know what's going to happen (or at least hope we do), and it needs to happen. Therefore, we have a couple of instructions:_

_Go to the Maxwell Church. They'll take you in. Don't say you're a Rau'Raychi, or even a member of a gang- play the innocent, and pretend you're just a street orphan._

_Never admit you're a Rau'Raychi- to anyone. Take 'Maxwell' as your clan name, and keep 'Duo' as your given._

_At the back of the Maxwell Church, there's a small disused chapel. Behind a panel on the front right pew, there's a small compartment. Inside, there are various things we want to give you, such as clothes and a couple of trinkets._

_Hidden under my wings are a breast binding and artistic make-up. You've pretended to be a boy before- now you've got to do it again._

_Trust us, there are good reasons for what we're asking you to do._

_Finally, something slightly cryptic, which you'll understand in time:_

'_Three times your life must be destroyed by fire. Twice, it has been done. Once more remains.'_

_This all sounds odd, I know, but trust us, alright?_

_Love always,_

_Lainn'Shepf Rau'Raychi (Solo)_

_And the rest of the Rau'Raychi clan_

Duo stared at the letter, taking in all that had happened in the past half-hour. She hurried back to Shepf, and upon lifting the leathery wings, found that there was indeed what was promised under her wings.

She frowned at the chest binding for a minute, then gave an odd smile. She knew she had to do.

Later that day, a small chestnut-haired boy, with the most brilliant amethyst eyes, was taken in by the Maxwell Church, and took on the family name of 'Maxwell'.

A year later, the church was burned to the ground by OZ soldiers, and Duo Maxwell was taken by Doctor G to become the Gundam pilot 02.

_All things which end must have a beginning._

_END STORY_


End file.
